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. 2022 May 25;19(11):6411.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19116411.

Sleep Disturbances in Children with Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Specific Learning Disorders

Maria Silvia Saccani  1   2 , Luciana Ursumando  1 , Silvia Di Vara  1 , Giulia Lazzaro  1 , Cristiana Varuzza  1 , Stefano Vicari  1   3 , Deny Menghini  1
Affiliations

Sleep Disturbances in Children with Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Specific Learning Disorders

Maria Silvia Saccani et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Sleep disturbances may be a significant source of distress for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and consequently also for their families. Crucially, sleep disturbances might be influenced by comorbidity. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder (SLD) often co-occur, and consequently, investigating sleep disturbances in children with comorbidity of ADHD and SLD is essential. Our study aimed at detecting sleep difficulties in a group of 74 children with ADHD, 78 children with SLD, and 76 children with ADHD and SLD by using the Sleep Disturbances Scale for Children. The results showed that sleep difficulties emerge more clearly in children with comorbid ADHD and SLD compared to children with only ADHD or SLD. These sleep difficulties were not due to differences in ages and behavioral/emotional problems. In conclusion, evaluating sleep disturbances is important when assessing and managing children with ADHD, SLD, and particularly with the two comorbid conditions, to better understand their difficulties and develop tailored interventions.

Keywords: ADHD; dyslexia; insomnia; neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparisons of the three groups on the subscale scores of the Sleep Disturbances Scale for Children (SDSC). Children with ADHD and SLD in comorbidity had higher scores on the SDSC subscales than children with ADHD and children with SLD. * p ≤ 0.01.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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